Major Somanth Sharma – India’s First Param Vir Chakra Recipient
“Soldiers don’t die with bullets, he dies when we forget them”. Major Somnath Sharma son of Major General Amar Nath Sharma was born on 31st January 1932 to a Dogra Brahmin family at Dadh, Kangra, in Himachal Pradesh. He finished his schooling at Sherwood College, Nainital, before enrolling at the Prince of Wales Royal Military College in Dehradun. Later Somnath continued his studies at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Somnath was influenced by the teachings of Krishna and Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, taught to him by his grandfather during his childhood.
He was commissioned in the Kumaon Regiment on 22nd February 1942. He was hailed from a military family wherein his father, brothers, and sister all served in the Army. Lt. General Surindar Nath Sharma and General Vishwa Nath Sharma were His brothers and Major Kamla Tewari, his sister, was a medical doctor. Somnath served during the Arakan Campaign in Burma of World War II, for which he was mentioned in despatches. He was killed in action fighting in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-1948, on 3 November 1947 while repulsing Pakistani infiltrators near Srinagar Airport.
On 22nd October 1947 Pakistani launched the tribal invasion of Jammu and Kashmir. The intention was to crack the Kashmir valley by force as the state because it was the responsibility of India to save the state from tribal invasion which was approaching the valley at a very fast pace. India dispatched troops to Srinagar. The first batch went on October 27th morning to stop the enemies on the outskirts of Srinagar. The D Company of 4th Battalion of Kumaon led by Major Somnath Sharma was airlifted to Srinagar on 1st October. When his company was asked to move to Srinagar, Major Sharma’s arm was injured and was in plaster. He had suffered a fracture on the hockey ground and was advised to take rest until the plaster was removed but he insisted on being with his company even at the critical hour and was allowed to go.
The enemies resorted to sneak into the valley. But the induction of more troops into Srinagar enables the army to take care of the surrounding areas better. On 3rd November a strong batch of three companies was deployed to Badgam area to look for raiders approaching Srinagar from the northern direction led by Major Sharma which had taken a position south of Badgam was asked to stay on in the area till 15000 hours. At 14:35 hours Sharma’s company was subjected to firing from some houses of Badgam village. When heavy casualties were badly affected, the firing power of the company, Major Sharma with his right hand on plaster took upon himself the task of filling the magazines and assigning them to the soldiers operating light machine guns.
He ran around, rousing his men without fearing for his own life. While he remained busy fighting the enemy a mortar shell exploded on the ammunition near him. His last words to brigade headquarters received a few moments before he was killed was:
“The enemies are only 50 yards from us. We are heavily outnumbered. We are under devastating fire. I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to our last man and our last round.”
In the battle of Badgam Major Sharma and twenty other ranks were killed but their sacrifices did not go in vain. He and his men stopped the violence of the enemy advance on Srinagar and the airfield for some very crucial hours. Major Somnath Sharma played a crucial part in preventing the fall of Srinagar and perhaps even Kashmir.
He has set an example of courage in the history of Indian. A 25-year-old young man sacrificed his life for the nation and became the recipient of the first Param Vir Chakra. Army Major General Amar Nath Sharma received the medal Param Vir Chakra on behalf of his proud son.
